Mexican studio Worc used polycarbonate walls and ever-changing lighting to create an immersive sensory experience for a Yoozoo boba tea shop.

Located in Mexico City, the Yoozoo shop uses translucent polycarbonate walls as a light diffuser to manipulate natural and artificial light, creating an ambience that shifts throughout the day.

Worc has completed a boba tea shop in Mexico City

Worc wrapped the store’s facade in polycarbonate to draw people in. At night, the diffused light gives it a “bright and radiant” glow, the studio said.

Upon entering, visitors step into a corridor that connects the ordering area to the seating area, gradually immersing them in the space. At the end of the passage, a private seating space that can’t be seen when entering the store reveals itself.

A corridor connects the ordering area to the seating area

“The idea was to deliver an absolutely unexpected space,” worc said. “This final space, which is never visible at any point from the corridor, suddenly reveals itself in a spacious and welcoming spirit that disconnects you from the busy street.”

Like the rest of the store, the seating area is wrapped in translucent polycarbonate, allowing natural light to filter through a dome while neon light strips create a soft, ambient glow.

The seating area’s polycarbonate walls filter both natural and artificial lighting

Suspended from the ceiling at the centre of the Yozoo store is a sculptural light installation by artists Lucía Aumann and Pablo Kobayashi that takes on different geometric forms and colours throughout the day.

“We wanted the space to feel alive, and nothing does that better than movement,” Worc said. “The light piece emits a soft glow and creates changing shadows, with the shapes inside mimicking boba pearls.”

The extensive use of polycarbonate plays a defining role in the store’s design, chosen for its contemporary and translucent qualities.

“We wanted to use a material that conveyed the young, dynamic and technological spirit of the brand – something that would collaborate with translucent visuals as an honest display of personality and contemporaneity, but at the same time elevate the space and its experience,” the studio explained.

A sculptural light installation hangs from the ceiling of the seating area

Through extensive experimentation, the designers discovered a way to harness polycarbonate’s ability to diffuse light and incorporate it into the store’s design.

“We tested different thicknesses and curvatures to see the amount of light that we could obtain through some of them,” Worc said.

“After many failed exercises, we developed a process to integrate the polycarbonate into the space.”

A circular opening offers glimpses into the kitchen

Worc chose the other materials in the shop to complement the polycarbonate, including metal structures, gloss-painted plastic window castings and stainless steel furniture.

The studio filled the space with interactive elements, including a backlit mirror in the corridor that it says makes for the “perfect selfie spot” and a circular opening in the seating area that offers glimpses into the kitchen.

An element of mystery was introduced through a hidden bathroom.

“There’s a secret bathroom with its own distinct personality – we challenge visitors to find it,” Worc said.

The corridor features a backlit mirror

Founded in 2022 by Ricardo Martínez and Camila Ureña, Worc is a design studio based in Mexico City. It has previously completed another boba tea shop for Yoozoo, inserting it into a colonial building.

We recently rounded up eight significant buildings to see around Mexico City.

The photography is by Zaickz Moz.

The post Worc designs glowing polycarbonate interior for Mexico City boba tea shop appeared first on Dezeen.